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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Aug. 21, 2019) —One of the largest new student classes in recent history will arrive on Milligan College’s campus this Saturday, Aug. 24, kicking off another school year for Buff Nation.
“Welcome Week,” Aug. 24-31, is a carefully structured and supportive introduction to college, and the scheduled activities aim to help new students acclimate to campus life, in addition to welcoming returning students.
Jason Onks, director of campus activities, shared that Milligan is intentional about helping students form meaningful bonds.
“Milligan provides a system of intentional care and support for our students; we want our students to know they are not just a number but a valued part of our community,” said Onks. “By having fun and learning about themselves and their peers, students also become more engaged in the classroom and on campus.”
Sophomore Josiah Loveall, originally from Joplin, Missouri, is majoring in church leadership, participates on the men’s volleyball team, and helps plan worship for chapel. For Loveall, Welcome Week created lasting friendships and served as a catalyst for his involvement on campus.
“Milligan is a 12-hour drive from my home, and I did not know any other students when I arrived last fall,” shared Loveall. “Like many freshmen, I originally felt out of my comfort zone, but the activities throughout Welcome Week made me want to get out of my dorm. By taking part early on, I started meeting so many great people and learned of so many ways to get involved.”
Loveall’s favorite experience during Welcome Week was the college’s annual Matriculation ceremony. One of the most celebrated and meaningful traditions of Welcome Week, this year’s Matriculation ceremony will be held Saturday, Aug. 24, at 7:45 p.m. in the Mary B. Martin Auditorium of Milligan’s Seeger Chapel.
“While I was walking into Seeger Chapel for Matriculation, it really hit me that I would spend my next four years at Milligan,” said Loveall. “During the ceremony, I officially signed my way into the Milligan family, and afterwards, I met the people who have become some of my closest friends at the dessert reception on the Commons.”
Returning undergraduate students arrive on campus Sunday, Aug. 25, and classes begin Tuesday, Aug. 27.
For a complete schedule of Welcome Week 2019 activities, visit www.milligan.edu/sizzler.